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No. 297,297. Patented Ap 22, 1884;

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Y @172 am v ymwzwmw BY M I 7' N. PETERS. Phma-uuw n her. W:1 shi n nnnnn c LORENZO D. RUNDELL AND PERRY VAN VALKENBUBGH, OF SOUTH WESTERLO, NEW YORK..

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,297, dated April 22, 1884.

Application filed February 25, 1884. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LORENZO D. RUNDELL and PERRY VAN VALKENBURGH, of South WVesterlo, Albany county, New York, have invented a new and Improved Thill-Ooupling, of which the following is a full, complete, and exact description.

The object of. our invention is to provide a new and improved thill-coupling by means of which thills can be coupled and uncoupled without removing the bolt.

Our invention consists in an axle-clip having two projecting jaws or lugs, each provided with inwardly-projecting flanges on the ends, and in a fork secured on the inner end of the thill, and having a recess in each side edge of the front prong.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of the shackle or jack. Fig. 2 isa sectional view of the jack and a side view of the fork on the thill, showing the fork in position when the thills are lowered. Fig. 3 is a like view, showing the fork in the position when the thills are raised.

The axle-clip A is provided on its outer part i with two parallel horizontally-projecting lugs or jaws, B, which are provided at the outer ends with vertical flanges O, which project toward each other, which flanges have their outer edges rounded, so that the flanges will be pointed or tapered toward the lower, ends.

To the curved inner end of each thill acurved bar, D, is fastened, the end of which is provided with a fork, E, which is provided in each side edge of the front prong with a notch, F, having beveled ends. A pin or bolt, G, is passed through two lugs or jaws, B, which bolt is held in place by means of a nut in the usual manner. \Vhen the free ends of the thills rest on the ground, the prongs of the fork stand vertically, as shown in Fig. 2, and can be passed in between the jaws B, so that the bolt G passes in between the prongs, as shown in Fig. 2. If the thills are raised, the lower ends of the prongs of the fork E are swung in the direction of the arrow a, whereby the flanges 0 pass into the notches F in the side edges of the front prongs, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby locking the forks E on the jaws or lugs B, thus preventing the fork from beinglifted from between thejaws or lugs B. If the thills are lowered again the forks E are brought into the position shown in Fig. l, and can be lifted out from between the lugs. The forks E will be locked to the jaws or lugs B, and cannot become detached, even if the bolt G drops out, as the forks E can only be removed when in the position shownin Fig. 2, and they can only have this position whenthc outer ends of the thills rest on theground. moved upward when in the position shown in Fig. 3, the lower ends of the flanges O strike against the back prongs of the forks and prevent the forks being raised. The thills can thus be coupled without requiring the bolt G to be removed or replaced, and cannot become detached as long as the thills are held in the thill-loops of the harness on the horse.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a thill-coupling, the combination, with the axle-clip A, having jaws B, provided with inside flanges, C, at the outer ends, of the bar D, secured to the thill, and having a fork, E, provided with notches F in the side edges of the front prong, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination, with the axle-clip A, having jaws B, provided with inwardly-projecting flanges O, tapered toward the lower ends of the bar D, secured to the thill, having a fork, E, formed on its end, in

If the forks are notches F are formed, and of the bolt G, substantially as herein shown and described.

LORENZO D. BUN DELL. PERRY VAN VALKENBURGH.

WVitnesses:

GEORGE W. RoBBINs, J AR-ED REYNOLDS. 

